Otway Subsurface Laboratory
A significant amount of funding was dedicated to expanding the subsurface infrastructure at CO2CRC’s Otway International Test Centre. The work program included the drilling and instrumentation of five deep wells to support CO2CRC’s Otway Stage 3 Project. The primary objectives of Otway Stage 3 are the demonstration and validation of two novel subsurface monitoring systems. These two systems include a) high resolution vertical seismic profiles using novel fibre optic technologies in all five wells inside and outside of casing as receivers, and stationary orbital vibrators as low energy seismic sources, and b) pressure tomography and inversion. Both technologies aim to image the carbon dioxide in the subsurface at substantially lower costs and with a lower operational footprint than conventional 3D seismic on land and in marine environments. The outcomes of the field trials will directly inform the CarbonNet project and also other CCS projects world-wide in the development of fit-for-purpose subsurface monitoring at a commercial scale.
The expansion of CO2CRC’s Otway International Test Centre by five new deep wells in 2019 provides Australia with a globally unique and unmatched subsurface research infrastructure which is available for collaborative and industrial research.
Key CCS Focus:
- Demonstrate safe, reliable, and cost-effective subsurface monitoring of CO2.
- Provide subsurface research infrastructure available for national and international research groups, consortia and industry to trial new technologies and concepts under field conditions.